World Day of Culture Date in the current year: April 15, 2024

The Roerich Pact is an inter-American treaty on the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historic monuments. Its main idea is the legal recognition of that the defense of cultural objects is more important than military defense.

The idea of creation of World Day of Culture belongs to World League of Culture. The organization initiated establishment of this holiday in 1998. It made several more propositions to establish International Day of Culture in 2008-2009, that would be celebrated on the anniversary of signing of the Roerich Pact. Nowadays this holiday is observed in different countries around the world.

The Roerich Pact became one of the most important documents influencing the formation of international legal standards for the protection of the cultural heritage of the world. The Pact got its name after the Russian painter and activist Nicholas Roerich, who appealed to the governments of the belligerent countries in 1914 to sign an international agreement protecting the cultural monuments from destruction as a result of hostilities. His idea was not supported at that time. His idea was implemented only on April 15, 1935, when 21 heads of states gathered in Washington, D.C. in the office of President Roosevelt to conform protection of artistic and academic institutions and historical monuments.